Sturgeon Spearing Regulations 2020 On The Winnebago System

Dear Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearer,

The 2020 sturgeon spearing season on the Winnebago System is less than a month away and we are finally starting to see some colder weather in the extended forecast.  I’d like to inform everyone that the regulation pamphlet for the 2020 season is now accessible on the DNR website through the following link:

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/documents/regulations/WinnebagoSturgeonSpearingRegulations2020.pdf

I’d especially like to draw your interest to a few items that have caused significant enforcement concerns in recent seasons.

1. SPEARERS MUST POSSESS A PAPER COPY OF THEIR STURGEON SPEARING CARCASS TAG AT ALL TIMES WHILE SPEARING, a receipt of purchase, driver’s license, or Go Wild card do not meet this requirement.
2. It is ILLEGAL to possess more than one copy of a carcass tag.
3. Carcass tags MUST BE validated immediately upon harvest by removing the validation stub.
4. There is mandatory in-person registration of all harvested fish. Fish must be presented at a DNR operated registration station (Page 6 of the regulation pamphlet) by 2 PM of the same day the fish is harvested.

So please take a few minutes to review the regulation pamphlet prior to the start of the 2020 spearing season.  Good luck during the upcoming season and bring on some cold weather for making ice!

We are committed to service excellence.

Visit our survey at http://dnr.wi.gov/customersurvey to evaluate how I did.

Ryan Koenigs
Senior Fisheries Biologist / Winnebago System Sturgeon Biologist
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
625 E County Rd. Y, Suite 700

Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920)303-5450
Fax: (920)424-4404
Ryan.koenigs@wisconsin.gov

 dnr.wi.gov